Lerb,
for me it all comes back to Ricky Nelson...
Figure you need 10K hours to get to mastery. You probably have a couple of thousand hours in.... there is no rush... there is just the steady, fun walk up the hill.
While speed will come for you, it is just a tool of conveyance and everyone will tell you that it is the quality of the note in context that matters. Keep reaching but realize that it is the playing that matters and the open eyes and ears that keep learning. As much as folks will compare this guy to that.... the really good ones are moved and inspired by other players but they neither want to be them nor compete with them....
"you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself."
and if you work on your singing you'll get to pick the tunes.... that is a really good idea.